No abstract

Nature-based solutions (NBS) can protect, manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems. They are a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to address societal challenges and some natural hazards effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. NBS applications can be easily noticed in circular cities, establishing an urban system that is regenerative and accessible. This paper aims to offer a review on NBS for urban water management from the literature and some relevant projects running within the COST Action ‘Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city’. The method used in the study is based on a detailed tracking of specific keywords in the literature using Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, ScienceDirect and Scopus. Based on this review, three main applications were identified: (i) flood and drought protection; (ii) the water-food-energy nexus; and (iii) water purification. The paper shows that NBS provide additional benefits, such as improving water quality, increasing biodiversity, obtaining social co-benefits, improving urban microclimate, and the reduction of energy consumption by improving indoor climate. The paper concludes that a systemic change to NBS should be given a higher priority and be preferred over conventional water infrastructure.

No abstract

This paper describes a pilot installation of a green wall treating greywater from an office building in Pune, Maharashtra State (NaWaTech project). The pilot installation is located at the main entrance of the state agency responsible for water supply and sanitation. The experimental analysis is in two phases. First phase analysed the results from green walls filled only with LECA ® (lightweight expanded clay aggregate). Since results from the first phase were not satisfactory, a second phase was developed. In the second phase, LECA plus sand and LECA plus coconut fibres were tested as porous media in order to increase residence times and consequently green wall treatment performance. The expected improvements in treatment efficiency have been confirmed by the wider range of observed removal rates between Phase I (chemical oxygen demand, COD, 16-20%) andPhase II (i.e. COD removal in the order of 14-86% and 7-80% for LECA-coconut and LECA-sand, respectively), denoting higher treatment potentialities for the new configurations. The obtained effluent quality was fulfilling the Indian law specifications for reuse in irrigation for all the analysed samples, while only the last samples collected during Phase II were showing an appropriate quality for reuse by flushing toilets. F. Masi

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract